Deus Ex Machina
by Rassilon001
Summary: One last level, one final dungeon, one ultimate boss. As enjoyable as the adventure has been, all good things must come to an end. Or do they?
1. Topmost Floor

**Disclaimer:  
><span>**I do not own Sword Art Online or any of its associated storylines, games, concepts or characters. They belong to Reki Kawahara, Yen Press and Aniplex.

**Summary:  
><span>**One last level, one final dungeon, one ultimate boss. As enjoyable as the journey is, all good things must come to an end. Or do they? Rated PG just to be on the safe side for some action violence and exceedingly mild cursing.

* * *

><p>Floor One Hundred.<p>

For two years it had been an impossible quest, an unreachable dream that had spurred on thousands of trapped lives to work hard, train, fight, and live. Then an unexpected twist of fate had broken the destined chain of events, as well as broken Akihiko Kayaba's hold over Sword Art Online, and everyone still alive had been freed. The castle in the sky had crumbled into virtual ash and dust, blown away by the breeze and lost amidst the turmoil of the web.

Then, to everyone's surprise, less than a year ago it had returned.

Reborn from the World Seed gifted to Kirito by none other than Kayaba himself, it had blossomed back into being floating high above the World Tree of Alfheim Online, seamlessly fitting into the new game and it's mechanics as if it had always been there. Knowing deep in his virtual bones just what to, Kirito had declared that he was going to take it on again. And this time, finally clear every last floor. Others had swiftly taken up the challenge as their own and joined him in his quest. The former Sword Art Online players amongst them, and many new friends from Alfheim, and later Gun Gale. Some days they numbered as many as a hundred players clearing away levels and finishing off bosses.

Aincrad wasn't the same as it had once been. The shift to Alfheim had altered the fundamental nature of its innermost mechanics. Levels and skills, swords and sorcery, all were different. The World Seed had seen fit to boost some foes and weaken others. Alter traps and item drops to more appropriately fit the world of faeries they played in. But even so, they were determined, they were experienced, and they were many. More importantly, defeat and death were a great hindrance now, but no longer the feared endgame it had once been. Slowly but surely they climbed ever higher, striving towards the one hundredth floor.

And now, finally, they'd reached it.

* * *

><p>On the night of July the Third, in the year 2027, at eleven o'clock in the evening, the game was set. Participants had already begun to arrive.<p>

A column of light faded away as another player finished logging in, blinking his dark eyes open. A Spriggan Fairy with the standard pointed ears, this player was dressed wholly in black from his boots to his duster, complimenting the mane of ebony spikes atop of his head. A massive broadsword, more suitable to a giant than a fairy, hung across his back, the tip almost dragging against the ground but somehow miraculously never did.

His name was Kirito, also known in certain circles as the Black Swordsman.

Smiling to himself as he beheld the large crowd gathered in the courtyard, Kirito placed his hands behind his head and stretched, settling into his virtual avatar comfortably as he beheld those already here. Many he knew, some he didn't quite as well. It seemed despite his best efforts to get to the party on time he'd arrived late yet again.

"Kirito! Hey Kirito!"

He smiled as he turned to the one calling his name, watching as the blue-haired faerie woman closed the distance between them. She was dressed in a white dress with pale azure stripes that perfectly set off her powder-blue strands of hair, and she also bore the pointy ears almost all races of Alfheim Online sported. This was not unusual, since she was an Undine Fairy. But far more important than _what_ she was, was _who_ she was.

She was Kirito's wife.

The blue-haired fairy flew through the air the last few feet and easily into his arms. He caught her and held her close, inhaling the virtual scent of her lilac perfume. They hadn't seen each other for quite a while due to time constraints in the real world, so they savored this moment for as long as they could.

Asuna held onto him tightly for a moment or two longer before she let go and gently said, "You're late."

"Would you believe I got lost on the way here?" he asked with a laugh, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

"No," Asuna replied deadpan. "Where's...?"

"Mama!"

Little Yui had popped into being and immediately flew over to Asuna, reaching for her shoulder to cling to her, her diminutive form shining with pixie dust as her pale dress swished around her. An Artificial Intelligence they'd adopted as their daughter, Yui looked a great deal like her adopted parents, sharing Kirito's dark hair and eyes while favoring the soft features of her new mother. Whether this was coincidence or her own code having altered prior to meeting them, none could say, and fewer cared. She loved them and they loved her, no matter her origins or her appearance.

"Is everyone here?" he asked, as Asuna hugged Yui in her hands then gently handed her back to Kirito. She settled comfortably on his shoulder, feet swinging back and forth. Although she loved both her parents equally, and they her, her data was technically tied to Kirito's account, hidden amongst the code as a Nav-Fairy program. So she tended to stay closer to him most times, especially during the thick of combat.

"I think so," Asuna replied. "We'll have to check and see, we've still got a few minutes before we were set to begin."

The two of them stepped into the throng of people, who parted to let them pass, everyone by now recognizing the Black Swordsman and his wife, Flash Asuna (also known as the Berserk Healer, a title she did not care for in the slightest). Some still stood in awe of their achievements and their reputation, never recognizing that for all their greatness, they were still just a pair of high school students. Still just a boy and a girl barely on the cusp of adulthood.

Two players approached them, however, completely at ease. A Salamander of average height with spiky auburn hair drawn back by an ever-present headband, wearing a grin on his face, and a towering Gnome with dark skin and a bald head, smiling jovially. Both were outfitted with armor, the Salamander's a red cuirass befitting a Ronin, while the Gnome wore a chest plate and gauntlet that seemed more appropriate for a European Knight. Klein and Agil were their names, and they were two of Kirito's closest friends, both in this world and the real one.

"Well well, good to see you again Kirito," said Agil, patting him on the shoulder. "Almost thought you'd miss out on this."

"Not a chance," Kirito retorted, grinning. "No way I'm missing the end to this after all we've been through. And I'm definitely glad the two of you could make it as well."

"A few of the Fuurinkazan showed up too," Klein said, beaming with understandable pride. "Not everyone unfortunately, but totally solid players, every last one. They're mingling right now with the others."

"We're here too! We're here too!"

They all turned as a pair of Faerie girls approaching, a pink-haired Leprechaun Fairy in a red dress and apron, and a petite Cait-Sith with a pair of pigtails and very large cat-like ears, dressed in navy blue robes. A pint-sized feathered drake of a baby blue hovered in the air near the smaller girl.

"Lisbeth! Silica! Glad you could make it!" said Asuna, throwing her arms around the older girl and squeezing her close. Lisbeth returned the favor, patting her on the back.

"Sinon's here too," Agil reported, indicating with a thumb over his shoulder. Kirito followed his gaze over to another Cait-Sith he indicated with short cyan locks, dressed in pale green robes and light armor. She was working to adjust the string on her golden composite bow, tightening it up to ensure it functioned at maximum efficiency. She paused in her work long enough to look up and nod in Kirito's direction, then went back to reviewing her inventory of arrow types. Probably setting them up for quick re-loading. Oh yeah, she was ready.

"Then I think we're just waiting for Leafa," Asuna mused aloud. "Has anyone seen her?"

"She should have logged on shortly after I did," Kirito said.

Yui, perched on Kirito's shoulder, pointed. "There, Mama. She's over that way."

"I don't see her," said the blue-haired girl, standing on her tiptoes and holding a hand to her forehead, scanning familiar and unfamiliar faces amidst the crowd for a flash of green and blonde. "Are you sure?"

"Mhm!"

Kirito patted the little fairy on his shoulder atop of her adorably tiny head. "Well if Yui thinks she is, she must be. Let's go take a look."

* * *

><p>Kirito almost wished he'd taken to the sky to look for Leafa, given how many other players were obstructing his view. Despite his almost legendary reputation, his fairy avatar still wasn't the tallest of races by a long shot, and thus plenty of others kept obscuring his vision as he tried vainly to peer around and over them. There could easily have been over a hundred people here, if not far more. Almost double what they'd had the first time they'd reached floor seventy-five and met The Skull Reaper.<p>

They continued the search. Along the way, they also spotted Thinker and Yulier speaking with Sasha, the three giving a wave as Kirito and his company passed by. He smiled, not having fully expected them to show up. They weren't hardcore gamers like most of them, they had real lives out in the real world that were much more meaningful. Thinker and Yulier were just getting back from a romantic vacation in Europe, and Sasha was starting her career as a medical student. Yet here they were because they were still good friends with all of them.

Yolko and Caynz also made an appearance as they flitted past on purple wings, chatting about strategies. The former Golden Apple Guild did not have nearly as much experience with the game as the other players, but upon hearing about Kirito's quest and how far it had advanced, decided to join Alfheim for the first time and take part in it. It would give a measure of closure for them.

Even Argo was here, the information broker having created a Cait-Sith to join in the fun. Or, more likely, record the event to sell the information. She politely nodded to the others as they passed her.

Finally, they caught sight of Leafa, who seemed to be chewing out poor Recon. Both Fairies were Slyphs, with predominantly green clothing. Recon even had his bob cut hair a shade of lime, whereas Leafa's was a startlingly gold shade of blonde. His ears continued to droop lower as she scolded him for something or other.

Shaking his head at his little sisters antics, Kirito called out to her. "Leafa! Hey Leafa! Over here!"

"Kirito!"

The young woman's face lit up like a sun as she spotted her big brother making his way towards her.

"You're late!" she declared, finger immediately in his face, pointing accusingly.

He gently batted it away, laughing. "Oh man, is no one going to let me live that down?"

"No."

"No."

"Nu-uh."

"Not a chance."

"No."

"Nope."

"No way."

"No how."

"No."

Heaving an overly dramatic sigh and immediately smiling afterwards, Kirito and Leafa shared a fist-bump.

"We ready?" he asked her, gauging his sisters avatar and trying to determine just how prepped she was.

"Oh yeah," she replied, determination lining her features. She gave Recon a slap on the back as he nervously twiddled his fingers. "Recon's ready too."

Leafa and Recon had been playing the game of Alfheim for a long while now, and been with Kirito since the very beginning. It came as no surprise to anyone they'd both be here today. Recon wasn't the bravest of players, but there was no questioning his loyalty, especially to Leafa. He'd follow her anywhere.

"Yeah, we're with you," the younger boy confirmed, tossing up a salute that just made you want to laugh at how comically serious he was.

"Sounds good," Kirito said, smiling. "We'll just-"

"Hail, Kirito!"

A Sylph and a Cait-Sith stepped forward, both accompanied by armored guards of their respective fashions. The Sylph was a taller woman with impossibly long, forest green hair and loose, flowing kimono. The Cait-Sith was a much smaller, blonde woman in a yellow cape and leather armor, with a bell hanging from her throat. These were not just any Fairy, however. They were the respective leaders of their Fairy factions. Lady Sakuya of the Sylph and Silica Rue of the Cait-Sith.

"It is good to see you again, Kirito. Asuna," she added, noticing the blue-haired girl at his side. They exchanged pleasant bows.

"Likewise," Kirito replied, also bowing. "I guess I don't need to ask if you two are set."

"Oh yeah, we're totally ready!" replied Alicia, pumping her fist enthusiastically. "Just say the word, Kirito!"

Lady Sakuya stepped forward. "Unfortunately several of our knights had to back out at the last minute, apparently due to a storm in their region of the world. I apologize on their behalf, but believe we should proceed anyway. Also, we have several representatives of the Nine Fairy Kingdoms who also wish to speak to you," she said, gesturing towards a number of Faeries to her right.

In front was a truly towering Salamander with rust-red hair and heavy plate armor trimmed in gold, accompanied by a slightly smaller, slightly older fellow in similar attire of a slightly cheaper appearance. Eugene and Kagemune, both former adversaries and now allies. The other Salamanders he did not know, and the other races represented were even less familiar to him. None-the-less, Kirito stepped forward to accept them, offering a kind word of thanks for their support and shaking the hands of all of them as they were added to the party.

Checking the time, Kirito saw it was almost time to get going, and everyone seemed to be accounted for, whether they'd be able to make it or not. He was about to get going when a Salamander woman came sauntering up to him, a long gray cloak swishing around her shoulders.

"Excuse me, Kirito. Do you have a moment? I'd like to join your party."

He glanced at her curiously, noting her name: Liosara. Not one he recognized, but something about it seemed familiar. So did the woman, for that matter. A slim Salamander Fairy with flame-red hair in wild curls, dressed in a startling black dress instead of the traditional red armor most of her race were equipped with. A spear rested under her arm, the tip pointed skywards behind her. For a moment, Kirito couldn't place her face, and didn't recognize her name.

And then he recognized that saucy smile.

"Wait a minute, you're-!"

"Hello again, Black Swordsman," the woman said. A quick flick of her wrist, a cursor menu appeared, and she de-activated the Masking Cloak, letting it vanish from her shoulders. Instantly the name above her corrected itself, letters sliding in place until Liosara had become something else entirely:

_Rosalia_.

Silica, the only other one present who recognized the former lure of Titan's Hand, gasped in outright shock.

"What are you doing here?" Kirito demanded, reaching for his sword.

Rosalia quickly threw up her hands, leaning her spear against her shoulder so it wouldn't fall over, but showing she meant no harm. "I just want to help," she protested. "I've changed."

He eyed her suspiciously. She couldn't possibly have been here for revenge, he was surrounded by dozens of players who'd tear her apart before she could scratch him. Then he remembered why she'd had her run in with him in the first place.

"You're not here to try and steal rare drops?" Kirito asked.

"No, really! Any loot you find is yours."

"I find that hard to believe," he said. "Last time I saw you, you were about to assault a little girl and steal everything she held dear. To say nothing of having me killed."

"I know... I'm sorry about that. I had a lot of time to think about things while I was stuck in that dungeon. Which was a very long time, you know."

"It's no less than you deserved!" said Asuna defensively.

"Can any of you honestly claim you were truly seen at your best in that game of kill or be killed?!"

"Their deaths were still on your head," said Asuna, arms folded across her chest.

"I've made up for that! I even turned myself in to the police in the real-world... they said my crimes were null and void, everything that went wrong with Sword Art Online was pinned solely on Kayaba."

_That much was true, at least_, Kirito mused. Which was how Laughing Coffin got involved in that Gun Gale fiasco he'd been asked to investigate a while back.

"I even committed a few petty crimes like shoplifting so I could be sent to jail, instead I got psychiatric aid that kept telling me it wasn't my fault! It was maddening!"

"So at first I just tried to forget the whole thing, move on with my life, you know? But the guilt just kept gnawing at the back of my mind. I couldn't sleep, I had nightmares. Most of them involving those I'd killed. Maybe not directly but... I'd had a hand in it. And I wasn't even properly punished for it. Even the brief time in that dungeon was too nice. So, I got back into the game. Tried to help players. I'm still trying to help. I go out of my way to visit the lower levels and the beginner towns, ask anybody."

Kirito glanced over at Lady Sakuya, Lady Alicia, and General Eugene to confirm her story. They'd been playing in Alfheim Online the longest, and had the strongest networks of informants.

"I can vouch for that much," Eugene said, his tone and expression neutral. "The rest of this is new to me, and unpleasant information to find out to be sure. But never has Rosalia been anything but a helping hand to the players in all the time she's been with us."

Lady Sakuya stepped forward to add her opinion as well. "It sounds to me she has been a victim of circumstance as much as you all were," she said softly. "No one can truly predict how they will go to pieces in such extraordinary circumstances."

"I won't make excuses. I know what I did was wrong. Let me make up for it. Please."

He considered this very carefully. The faction leaders seemed to content to let the decision be his, as head of the raid party, and one of the few who seemed to truly know Rosalia on a personal basis. Silica was offering no protest, though she did not seem very happy about it either. But then, had either of them really known Rosalia? They'd met so briefly, and hardly under the best of circumstances. Nor was she the only one who'd succumbed to killing in Sword Art Online, Titan's Hand had been full of people who were broken, threatened, or forced into joining. She could have easily been the same way. And right now, she was harmless to them, and seemed genuine in her desire to help. In the end, he couldn't really think of any reason to deny her, or any danger she could conceivably be to them.

Ultimately, Kirito trusted his gut, and nodded. "Welcome to the party," he said, flicking open an screen and inviting her. She accepted eagerly, the look of relief on her face left little doubt to her sincerity.

Kirito politely turned back to finish ensuring everyone was here, and Rosalia took a moment to ensure she was ready. As she glanced up, however, she spotted a tiny drake glaring down at her, hovering just over Silica's head.

Wincing, since this was likely to go even less smoothly than with Kirito, Rosalia made her apologies.

"I know I wronged you as much as I wronged Kirito," she said. "If not more so. I'll do my best to make up for such."

Silica retorted with a huff and turned up her nose. Comically, Pina did almost exactly the same as beast tamer and pet strolled away from Rosalia as quickly as they could.

The red-haired Salamander sighed, ears drooping. This may have been a horrible idea after all, she decided. But she resolved to press on with it, for their sake if no other reason. Maybe she could be of some use, she liked to think of herself as still fairly strong. And maybe, just maybe she could finally earn some peace of mind from all this.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Authors Notes:<br>**For those who've only seen the Anime, Sinon may not be a character you're familiar with. She comes from the next arc and game, Gun Gale Online, which I hear will be animated very soon.

The re-appearance of Rosalia, one of the minor antagonists of Sword Art Online, is due to personal preference. I felt her story was cut short before it could be properly explored, and wanted to give her a measure of redemption. Plus, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy that hot design of hers.


	2. Last Dungeon

It seemed everyone was here who would make it, so Kirito saw no reason to delay further. Beckoning the others to follow, he began the ascent of the stairs leading up to the Ruby Palace final room: The Cathedral at the very top. They had no Corridor Crystals available to them, so they were going to have to work their way to the final room all the way from the Teleport Gate Plaza. Fortunately, this level wasn't very large compared to some others below. Along the way, mobs of various numbers, power and strength appeared to challenge them. Most seemed to be modelled after priestly types in robes and hoods, with no faces or features to be seen. Similar to the hooded giant who had appeared over the Town of Beginnings, so long ago, and explained the rules of the death game. Cardinals.

Thus, Kirito took a particular satisfaction in cutting them down whenever they stood in his path, sometimes not even waiting for his teammates to join him as he surged ahead. With their goal in sight, it was hard to hold back their excitement. Numerous drops and countless Yrd was overlooked and ignored as they raced past it to their destination.

In virtually no time at all, the enemies seemed to vanish into pixels, and their path became easier. Then, it ended altogether. They'd run out of steps to climb.

More specifically, they'd reached the boss room.

Kirito paused by the massive double doors to the Ruby Palace Cathedral, marked with blood red crosses on white marble. The similarity to the Knights of the Blood Oath was readily evident, the reason for such now painfully obvious. Hindsight always was twenty-twenty, they said. Sighing as he pushed back painful memories, he turned to the rest of his companions who had gathered in the small courtyard in front of it. It was just barely big enough for them all, which to his mind indicated their group was probably the perfect size to tackle the boss and end their grand quest.

"Everybody ready?" he asked.

Klein turned around and threw up his fist. "Hey guys! Kirito's asking if we're ready! What do we **say**?!"

A deafening chorus of affirmation nearly floored Kirito, who braced himself against the rush of noise. He still couldn't believe his ears. Or his eyes. When he'd first started playing Alfheim Online he'd been alone. Then he'd found fast friends, strong comrades, loyal allies, even family. His daughter, his sister, and his wife. Some came and went as they pleased, others were thick as thieves. Right now every last one of them was here, and looking to _him_ for guidance.

Asuna slapped him lightly on the back, bringing him back to the here and now. "They're waiting for you to say something, idiot."

"Oh, uhm..." and just like that his mind went utterly blank.

"Speech!" shouted Lisbeth, hammer upraised. "Speech!"

"Yeah, speech!" added Silica. The dragon perched on her shoulder gave a miniscule roar in agreement with its mistress. The chant was quickly picked up by several others.

"Speech! Speech! Speech!"

A tiny hand patted his shoulder. "You can do it, Papa," Yui whispered softly.

Reluctantly, Kirito engaged his transparent ebony wings and soared upwards a few feet into the air. He'd be easier to hear and see from his new position in the sky.

"Everyone!" he said, holding up his hands to get their attention.

The chants died down as all eyes turned to him, and the cheering died to a dull murmur as Kirito felt his collar grow hot, unable to think. He jumped on the first thing to come to mind. "Uhm... I'd like to say, first and foremost: thank you. All of you. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to get even close to this far. And in such a short period of time."

He smiled as he remembered some of their past adventures on the lower floors. "I think maybe I knew that when I made my vow to tackle Aincrad again and finally finish clearing it. No one player can truly go it alone."

There was scattered applause from that, brief but very heartfelt.

"So again, thank you. All of you. Every single one of you here today has been a part of this endeavor. No one race could've done this either, it took nine of you! So thank you Sylph and Salamanders! Thank you Undines and Cait-Sith! Leprechauns! Gnomes! Imps! Spriggan! And of course Pookas!"

Each race of fairy cheered for their individual sub-species, laughed and jeered some of the others in a friendly fashion, but at the moment, the colors and features blurred together in Kirito's vision, and he saw them as one great people.

"Today, we're ready to finally tackle the final room and the final boss. Now I don't know what's behind these doors," he said, gesturing behind himself with sharp points of his index finger. "It was supposed to be the creator of Sword Art Online himself, Akihiko Kayaba. But he's _already_ been defeated. We took on his challenge and we won. And today, we're going to win again!"

More cheering followed that, and even a few roars from the armored dragoons the Cait-Sith were riding.

"I clawed my way up the levels of Aincrad as a beta tester, and never made it to the top because the game was put into production. Then we fought our way there in a death game because it was the only way to survive. And we still didn't make it, even though we'd won the game. Some of it was left uncompleted. Today, we've made it to the top. It's time to finish this! Once and for all!"

Definitely cheering now, and lots of applause from a very psyched up crowd. Kirito winced a little at the volume of noise, recoiling in mid-air as if he'd been hit by a sonic attack.

"We're going to finish this! We're going to win! Is everyone with me?!"

The resulting shout of affirmation left no doubt in his mind.

His voice dropped back down to a speaking tone as he turned back to the double doors. "Then let's do this."

Kirito set his hand on the door's handle, and glanced over as Asuna put hers on the other door. They shared a brief look and a nod. Together, they started to push, and the doorway to the final dungeon opened up to them.

* * *

><p>All things considered, it didn't look much like a dungeon. The cathedral theme continued, the room looked like the inside of a church or a theatre, minus any pews or altar. Instead the floor opened up in wide, open area, no doubt for where they would have the final battle. Marble floors and walls were polished to a high shine, and the windows were stained glass depicting unrecognizable heroes, angels, and deities. It felt almost hallowed, and for a moment, Kirito was reluctant to enter, then took the first step in.<p>

Another moment passed... and nothing happened.

He took another step in, then a third, and finally strolled right in. Asuna was right by his side the whole way, and everyone else followed as closely as they could manage without knocking one another over. The gate size was sufficient to permit the dragoons entry.

"Check for traps," whispered someone, prompting those with the skill to search the walls and floors with their glowing eyes, checking for any hidden dangers. So far, it seemed, there was none. Klein even extended his wings and took an experimental hop, finding he could hover in mid-air inside the cathedral, despite it being a dungeon.

Along the walls were a number of bronze braziers, which lit up with ruby flames as more of them entered, illuminating the inside of the cathedral in a warm, comfortable glow. As they progressed further into the building, the far end became more visible, as well as an unusual bit of furniture in the otherwise featureless room.

Four enormous thrones. All carved of solid marble and easily big enough to seat a quartet of giants.

"_Four_ thrones?" Kirito asked aloud. "Why four?"

"Isn't four an important number in Japan?" asked Yui. As an Artificial Intelligence program, she had limitless searching capabilities, but only limited imagination to call her own.

"Christian too," agreed Agil. "Four points, like a cross," he added, waving his axe at one of the stained glass windows above.

"Doesn't explain the thrones though," Asuna said, eyeing them warily. "Probably spawn points, but for what kind of monster?"

"Could be the classical elements," Lisbeth mused, rubbing her chin in thought. When the others looked at her confused, she elaborated. "Uh... Fire, Water, Earth and Air. Those are the classic four, I understand."

"So it's intended for one of each of the Fairy races?" asked Silica, puzzled. And more than a little miffed, since as a Cait-Sith she didn't have an elemental prowess, but an animal affinity in its place.

Kirito shook his head. "No, that's not it... Aincrad was built before the Nine Fairy races came into being. This has to be something else. It must be four bosses but... I'm not sure I quite get the theme."

"I was thinking more it's going to be four really big elementals," Lisbeth replied. "Like... Elemental Kings?"

"And Queens," Asuna nodded thoughtfully. It sort of made sense, but it didn't feel quite right.

"Four? Ick, that'll be worse than the Twin Bosses we faced on level eighty-eight," said Klein, giving an involuntary shudder. That particular fight had been positively disgusting, and very grueling, since the bosses had liked to merge and separate to heal damage and continue fighting. It had taken hours to finally separate and destroy them both.

Sinon considered the facts before her, and recalled one important one she'd heard relayed to her from the former Sword Art Online players. "Kayaba said he was going to meet you here as the final boss... didn't he?"

"Yeah," Kirito replied. He cast his gaze left and right, half-expecting the man himself to be there. He was almost... disappointed he wasn't. "I derailed his plans by discovering him a few floors early."

"He didn't have any partners, did he?" asked the sharpshooter. "Maybe people in other guilds working the same angle he did?"

"Not that I know of," Kirito replied, musing aloud. "Does sort of sound like him though. Maybe..."

He paused as he caught sight of something on the floor... and a boot about to disturb it...

"Don't touch the circle!"

Klein, having almost stumbled right over it, threw his body back and pin-wheeled his arms before Lisbeth rolled her eyes, grabbed the back of his cuirass, and hauled him away from the circle.

Not readily obvious on first glance, when one was looking for the image in the floor, it was much easier to see. A four-meter wide circle in the middle of the room, a line scarcely a half inch wide and a full inch deep. Were it not for the runes carved in the ground around the circle, inside and out, Kirito might well have thought nothing of it. As it was...

"Think it's a trap?" asked Silica curiously, eyeing the line with great trepidation.

"Never know," he replied. "Doesn't seem to be setting off anyone's alarms. But my gut says yes. Must be where the final boss is summoned. Get into position with Alicia Rue and the rest of the Cait-Sith for now. Oh, and you and Pina be ready for anything, okay?"

She beamed brightly up at him. "You got it!" she added with a fist pump. Pina cawed from her shoulder.

Most of the rest of the Cait-Sith were already astride their armored dragoons and other mystical beasts, taking up positions along the walls near the back of the room. They had the greatest range in their attacks but could quickly get in the way if towards the front. That was where the smaller, quicker fighters were going. Spellcasters took up the middle, fire and ice and all manner of deadly attacks just waiting to be unleashed, to say nothing of healing magics. The air was alight with glowing runes as buffs were added to the combatants.

"And where do you want us, Kirito?" asked Asuna.

"Asuna, you stay by my side, switch out if I need it. Leafa, Klein, take the left side and prepare to flank. Lisbeth, Agil, you've got the right."

"Right!" they chorused. The four quickly dispersed to their respective sides.

"Sinon?"

"Don't worry I'll keep my eyes open," she replied, activating her wings and kicking off the ground, floating her way over to an alcove in the corner of the room, close to the high ceiling. It had the greatest vantage point and yet ensured enemies could only come at her from one direction: head-on. She equipped her bow and pulled out an arrow, selecting one of the most lethal she had in her arsenal, a Blackblood Arrow. They were playing for keeps today, no sense in being stingy.

"Where do I go?" someone called out. A Gnome player that Kirito didn't recognize.

"Stay close to me," ordered Eugene, great blade in hand. "You're my back-up. Rose, you keep an eye on the perimeter."

Rosalia nodded, spear upraised, ready to strike over the heads of other players with her longer reach.

Everyone else quickly got into their positions, falling into place easily. Most had been working together for weeks now as a unit, through some of the most grueling floors and boss fights the game had to offer. Now, it was almost second nature. They fell into place with precision a JSDF military unit might've envied.

"Everyone ready?" Kirito called out, even as Yui flitted down to hide in his front pocket out of sight. "Recall stones? Buffs? Music?"

Sasha, the only Pooka in the entire raid party, obligingly began to pull on the strings of her lyre, filling the air with a barely audible melody. Pooka magic being musically based meant that it added additional benefits to the raiders. It was also somewhat rare to come by, since few players had the patience to play instruments or sing songs in Alfheim.

To a one, everyone seemed to be ready and even rarin' to go, and so Kirito drew his massive broadsword and gingerly stepped into the circle, hoping to trigger the final boss.

He wasn't disappointed. The instant his foot came down inside the line, the entire aura of the cathedral changed. The walls lit up with an unholy, blood red aura as all noise seemed to become muffled by a dreadful hum. Like a very muted sort of chanting. The lines and runes of the circle glowed a bright ruby, and the doors to the cathedral began to close shut, locking them all inside. High above, a bell tolled, the sound echoing against their nerves as everyone instantly tensed up, Kirito most of all.

There was no turning back now.

_It's just a game_, he reminded himself. _Even if we die, we'll be okay. It's **just** a game_.

The edges of the circle began to turn scarlet as a viscous liquid began to pour forth from them and slither across the ground to the center. Kirito grimaced sickly as the stuff slid right under his boots, doing his best to ignore it as it coalesced in the center, rising up out of the ground and gaining substance and form. It was a shape and form familiar to many, who were recalling unpleasant memories of the Town of Beginnings and the start of a nightmare.

"What the...?"

The red substance finally seemed to stop issuing forth from the circle, instead forming into a roughly humanoid shape. Then, the brightness of it faded, receding back until it wasn't a form, but a man. A man wearing red plate armor. A very distinctive red plate armor: the sort worn by the highest ranking members of the Knights of the Blood Oath. The man was very much distinct himself, for all the gentleness of his features, the premature grayness of his long hair, drawn back into a ponytail. He was not old, but his face was careworn with age and wisdom. At least, that was likely what the image was meant to convey.

If his appearance was even the slightest bit in doubt, the weapon in his hand left those doubts in the dust. A massive tower shield of gleaming ivory, with the crimson cross adorning it like a splash of blood. Sheathed behind it was a simple broadsword.

There was no doubts anymore. There was, indeed, only one person he could be.

"Ah," said Heathcliff, giving a faint smile. "I see you finally made it."

He planted his massive tower shield into the ground and rested his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Welcome, players."

* * *

><p><strong><span>Authors Notes:<br>**Some questions regarding the final boss will be addressed in the next chapter, but do feel free to make your own guesses in the meantime.


	3. Ultimate Boss

The appearance of Heathcliff, widely known more commonly as the creator and mastermind of the Sword Art Online crisis, was enough to paralyze most of the party with abject terror. Klein and Agil froze in horror. Lisbeth swallowed nervously, Rosalia was trembling, and Silica looked ready to go to pieces. Asuna's hands flew to her mouth, her mind replaying the horrible last few moments of that hellish duel Kirito had fought with him. Even the newer players, the ones who hadn't been trapped in a virtual Hell for years, sensed something and were tensing, spells and weapons at the ready. No one said a word, just stared in wide-eyed shock as if their worst nightmare had risen from the underworld to stand in their way. Whatever they'd been expecting, it certainly hadn't been this.

But something seemed... a little off.

At first, Kirito couldn't quite place his finger on it, but it seemed to him as if Heathcliff was reading off a script or something. He was saying the words, but there was no greater depth and meaning to them. And then Kirito realized that while the man before him looked real enough, his eyes weren't tracking them like a normal players would. Instead, they stared blankly ahead, devoid of life, like most of the NPCs in the game.

"It's not him," he said in sudden realization. "It's some sort of... residual data."

"A virtual ghost?" asked Asuna, still trembling. She wasn't entirely sure if the idea scared her less or more.

"No it's... it's more like an... after-image," Kirito said, eyeing the tall, gray-haired avatar curiously. It certainly looked like Heathcliff, the avatar Kayaba had used when he'd run his Death Game. And he'd stated himself he'd planned to betray the Knights of the Blood Oath, and indeed all players, and move to the final floor as the ultimate boss. Exactly where he was now. Was this some reflection of that? Some hollow data that was left over from his defeat and death?

There was also a possibility this was something the World Seed had done, Kirito realized. In trying to reconstruct Aincrad inside of Alfheim Online, it likely had a void where the final boss would be. Maybe this was its attempts to fill that void. Or maybe this was what Akihiko Kayaba had been planning all along when he'd created Sword Art Online and later given him the World Seed. Truth and lies had twisted together easily in his words and actions, no one could be certain of anything anymore.

Realizing he would have to proceed very carefully he turned to address the spirit. "Akihiko Kayaba! We're here!"

Whatever else he was, the digital enemy seemed pleased to hear his true name spoken. A quest cursor appeared next to him, and everyone seemed to relax a fraction. This wasn't the resurrected spirit of their enemy and tormentor, it was just another NPC with some colorful flavor text.

Kirito brought his hand over the quest cursor and clicked accept.

There was a brief pause as the quest was accepted, then the virtual avatar smiled again. "So it is come to this? The top floor? The last boss? The final battle? Good. I been waiting a long time to see this day... but before we begin, I do have to ask... what do you think of my world, players? Is it not truly beautiful?"

Frowning, Kirito figured he could admit that much was true. Say what you want about Aincrad's horrific monsters and deadly traps, it had some of the most beautiful scenery on many of its floors. Rolling hills of deep grass, towering mountains of snow and ice, oceans that stretched on as far as the eye could see. The high definition of their senses meant they could experience it all as if they were actually there, and there was something for everyone. Even something mundane like fishing could become a truly epic hobby here.

"... yes," he finally said, keeping his voice neutral. "It is."

"And if you're standing before me, you've seen it all," said Heathcliff. Was he truly responding to their reply or moving ahead in his script? "Tamed it all, no less. You've made a life for yourselves here, carved a niche in my world for yourselves. So I just have to ask: do you want it to end? You have all fought hard in this world. Suffered in this world. Loved in this world."

Was it Kirito's imagination, or did Heathcliff's gaze shift focus to himself and Asuna with that last statement?

"You've lived in this world as much as the other one waiting for you when you log off. But therein lies my point: you needn't. It does not _have_ to end. You can all stay here, and make _this_ your home. Your world. The game does not _have_ to end."

There was a brief pause after that, and the whole cathedral went silent. The only sound was the crackling ruby fires in the braziers.

"Well? What do you say?" asked the Heathcliff avatar, smiling his friendliest of smiles.

His offer was obviously no longer valid, but the idea itself was still very tempting. To Kirito more than most. Even his closest friends and family had warned him not to get too engrossed in over-logging on, wasting away all his time in the virtual worlds, always playing games. He got good marks at school, but it seemed he was wasting his potential. Not applying himself. Except here, in a world of swords and sorcery that was now being offered to him...

"No," Kirito finally said, his voice almost cracking.

He felt all eyes of his teammates on him, but stubbornly ignored them and pressed on. More firmly, he pressed on, "No! We are not interested in _your_ world. You were never a god, Kayaba, no matter how much you wanted to be. You didn't have the _right_ to toy with people's lives the way you did! You're the worst sort of person. A monster."

Memories assailed Kirito as he spoke. Of lives they'd lost, friends who'd been hurt. Asuna had come within inches of death and seemingly saved by a glitch in the system. And Sachi and the Moonlit Black Cats hadn't been nearly so fortunate, neither had thousands of others who'd died. Many others hurt deeply psychologically, driven to despair, ravaged by rage, or mired in madness.

Breathing out slowly, he let all that anger fade away like morning dew in the sunlight.

"But in a way, I _should_ thank you."

Heathcliff lifted an eyebrow at this, perhaps puzzled by his sudden change in tone.

"It's because of you and this game I met all my friends," he said, turning back to the gathered crowd. Maybe not everyone he knew individually, but all of whom had stood by him at one point or another. Especially now.

"They helped me grow in a way that xp and levelling will never come close to comparing to. And I realized something. In the end, this is just a game. A really fun game that's brought us all together, but a game. We have our real lives to live in the real world. And no matter how fun they are, every game has to eventually end. But if it does have to end, we're going to end it with a bang! We're not just walking out of here, Akihiko Kayaba. We're going to defeat you! Finish on a high note! We're! Going! TO! **WIN**!"

He punctuated his last remark with a thrust of his sword into the air, and a cheer rose up behind him from the others. Hollars of agreement and battle cries of encouragement mixed with wild roars, jumbled together into a wild cacophony of pure noise. Through it all the virtual ghost of Kayaba remained quiet, seemingly unmoved by the speech.

And then he smiled.

"Well then..." he said as he drew his sword and positioned his shield. "Let's do this."

There was a brief pause, as if the digital-copy was processing data. "But it seems you've brought quite a few strong friends with you. I hope you don't mind if _mine_ want to play as well?"

Without waiting for a reply, the four thrones lit up with bright ruby flames. When they died down, each throne had changed color, and was occupied by a menacing figure.

The leftmost throne retained its whitewash coloration, though it no longer shined like well-polished marble, instead looking more like it was carved from a massive piece of ivory. The figure sitting in it was a mummified husk of a man in white clerical garb, marked by red crosses. A short golden cape descended from his shoulders, and a crown of gold encircled his brow. A large ornate bow rested easily in his hand. No eyes peered out from his empty face as he glared at those gathered in the cathedral.

The second throne looked red, as if it was stained with blood instead of paint. Its occupant was an armored knight in full plate of deep crimson that was almost black, a heavy horned helm concealing his features. Wicked looking spikes erupted from every part of his armor, like some sort of demonic porcupine. A great hammer and a jagged sword were his weapons of choice, held easily in both of hands.

After that was a pitch-black throne, and a sinister individual in regal black robes, trimmed in golden runes that none could read, but universally found offensive to look upon. His face was shielded by a veil, but what could be seen looked similarly desiccated. He held no weapons, but a balancing scale made of some dark metal was held in his tight grip. He must have been a spellcaster type of boss.

And the final throne had changed to a sickly greenish-white, the color of a rotted corpse. Its occupant was a figure in a ragged black robe and hood, with a skeletal face and glowing red eyes. He bore more than a passing resemblance to The Fatal Scythe, who had attacked them in the underground dungeons. Even held a similarly menacing weapon in his bony digits, a silver scythe that stood as tall as he was.

As one, the four enemies stood in front of their thrones as the party just watched and gaped in horror.

"The **_Four_** _Horse_men?!"

"Are you _ %#&ing_ _kidding_ me?!" someone blurted out. Kirito had never been so glad for the censor filter. He himself almost recoiled in abject terror, but kept focused on Heathcliff and stood his ground. The avatar was their real enemy. There was just sub-bosses meant to keep them busy.

Really, really _big_ sub-bosses.

Heathcliff smiled, and then struck, charging forward with his shield upraised.

* * *

><p>The final boss charged forward, and Kirito almost immediately ducked to one side and lashed out with his sword, which impacted hard against the sturdy shield protecting him. He ducked under Heathcliff's own attack and spun on his heel, lashing out for a follow-up. The shield began to ring like a bell as blow after blow rained down against it. It was a familiar dance, and yet Kirito recognized immediately this Heathcliff was fighting differently. He moved differently. Faster and more fluidly. Things wouldn't go the same way. If anything, his impressive use of the Holy Sword technique seemed to be even stronger than before.<p>

Even so, Kirito wasn't the same either. His weapon was different, his build and skills altered, to say nothing of his ability to fly. He kept grounded for the most part, however, as he hammered away at Heathcliff's shield with his great broadsword, taking advantage of a firm stance and heavy weapon to wail on him.

Elsewhere, the air lit up with flashes and flame as the Four Horsemen went crashing through the ranks of the party like a quartet of meteors. Players scattered in all directions, unsure of what to do. Kirito pushed back hard against Heathcliff, but he seemed determined to stay locked in their central battle position in the middle of the room (more specifically, the circle he'd been summoned within). Kirito was locked into combat right alongside him, unable to disengage.

Someone needed to issue out commands to deal with the remaining Horsemen. But Sakuya and Alicia, and even Eugene it seemed, had been caught flat-footed and weren't sure how to respond. Surprisingly, it was Leafa who stepped up to make the call.

"Asuna, back up Kirito! Left flank, go after the first one, right flank the second! Keep them busy but keep up with switches, don't let them get focused on any one of you for too long!"

The two forces clashed as the raid party fought back against the Horsemen, scattering into smaller groups. The air was lit up by glowing weapons and flashing spells, pure anarchy in the works. Leafa continued to call out instructions as she drew her katana from its sheath and held it out before her.

"To battle!" she cried.

Kirito, catching his breath as Asuna hammered away at Heathcliff's shield, saw her plan was a good one. However he would be remiss if he didn't add his own instructions.

"Watch out for the Horsemen! They've probably got some nasty surprises in store for us!"

"On it, bro!" she called out over her shoulder, flying over their heads and towards the nearest Horseman, the dark-robed figure with the balancing scales. Famine was the name. He'd already swatted aside two Salamanders like they were ragdolls and was now gunning for Silica and Pina when Leafa intercepted him, slashing at his heavy robes and diverting his attention to her. She fell back immediately, opening him up to a flank from Lady Sakuya and Recon, who slashed at his sides with swords and daggers, chipping at his hit points.

"Warriors, onward!" shouted Lady Sakuya, waving her fan. Her elite guardsmen charged forward on emerald wings.

Famine simply raised up his balancing scales as the warriors descended upon him. Leafa, Silica, and Sakuya had the good sense to dodge aside as he unleashed a wave of black fog which engulfed the elite fighting Sylphs. They fell to the ground, strength and color alike fading from their bodies as the Horseman's de-buff took effect. Their equipment began to crumble as well, its durability failing rapidly.

"Get back! Keep out of the fog!" shouted Agil, slashing at the back of Famine and trying to draw his attention.

"Fall back!" someone shouted, tripping over a comrade in the way and sprawling on the floor.

"Split up and hit the bosses equally! Mages to the rear, warrio-!"

"No, concentrate on the weaker ones, we need to thin their ranks!"

"Break groups! Re-Organize!"

"We can't break formation _now_! Hold the line!"

Indecision and confusion swept the battlefield as players jostled into new positions. The eye of the storm was the circle where Heathcliff dueled back against Kirito and Asuna, taking their attacks in stride and holding his own. No one else dared to interfere, but were caught up in their own conflicts. Sylphs and Salamanders were knocked back by the Horsemen, some bursting into colorful flame as their lives were extinguished and their Remain Lights kicked in.

Astride her dragoon, Alicia's golden eyes widened at the horrific display. Players were falling left and right. _ Kid gloves are off_, she decided.

"Dragoons! Fire breath attack! ROAST THEM!" she roared, doing a passible imitation of a dragon herself.

Gouts of flame erupted from the mouths of her dragoon platoon, spraying over the Horsemen in tandem, washing them in hot fire that ate away at their life points. The Horsemen wouldn't go down easily, however. Each had no less than _six_ hefty life meters. And that was just the beginning of it. When their first life meters hit zero, each Horsemen fell back and summoned armored steeds out of thin air to ride upon. Bone white, blood red, pitch black and pale green, respectively. This gave them a boost in attack power and range, to say nothing of mobility (the horses flew on dark wings) but it also allowed for more attacks to be focused on the Horsemen. Players were already swarming around them in droves, using the hit-and-switch tactics that worked best on the toughest of monsters.

Compared to some Level Bosses, these Horsemen were almost tame. Tough, but tame. They couldn't have been more wrong. As Kirito had predicted, they had even more nasty surprises in store for them.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Authors Notes:<br>**As always, I pay humble tribute to the finest beta readers and fellow writers I know, my own fellow Horsemen: Draco38, MarshalZhukov, jm1681 and Unkeptsecret.


	4. Endgame Battle

Lisbeth held back at first, throwing white hot lightning at various Horsemen whenever her mana allowed for it, then zipped across the battlefield to back up Klein when the War Horseman knocked him down. Agil was already drawing its attention away from him, so Lisbeth helped Klein back to his feet and applied a healing crystal. He dipped his head to her and charged right back into the fray, making her snort in amusement at his directness.

A scream caught her attention, and she saw a Spriggan sorcerer being run down by the Horseman with the scythe. He stared into the face of Death himself as he stumbled onto his back and hastily threw up his shield in a vain effort to protect himself.

Without thinking Lisbeth lifted up her great hammer and threw it hard as she could, activating its special ability. It glowed an electric blue as it smashed into the side of the reapers skull-like face, then flew right back to her outstretched hand for her to catch.

"Thank you!" shouted the Spriggan, throwing a thumbs up and casting a spell to recover his losses.

"Anytime!" Lisbeth yelled back, jumping back as the Horseman of Death came after her instead. Wings of a mechanical appearance sprang from her back as she quickly got low to the ground and sped away from the deadly enemy. Alas, he pursued her relentlessly, his chilling eyes burning red. She ducked and weaved, but there was nowhere to hide in the open cathedral. She ducked under a wicked slash of the scythe as it passed overhead, nearly giving her a most unwanted haircut before she dropped like a stone and back down amongst the others.

She just needed to wait until someone else drew his attention, she thought. Someone else who could handle his attention. She just needed...

There.

Two Sylph guards in full plate armor, part of Sakuya's honor guard. Probably the highest of levels and wearing the best of armors. They could handle it. Lisbeth ducked and rolled between them, leaving the two to gape stupidly as the Horseman came upon them, scythe flying through the air with an eerie whistle.

Two players flashed out of being in bright plumes of hot smoke, replaced by tiny balls of fire in mere seconds as their Remain Lights activated.

This was the power of Death. With one stroke you were gone.

That said, they weren't going to make it easy for him to land a blow. There were ways to parry his scythe, or dodge his attacks. You just had to move fast. Lisbeth fell back alongside Sakuya as the Sylph Lady directed her men in their attack, followed up with an order to revive her guards, then discarded her fan in favor of her katana.

"I'm sorry about that!" said Lisbeth.

Sakuya just shook her head, long green hair flowing behind her. "Casualties of war. But I shall not tolerate their defeat!" she said as she charged forward with blade in hand. Lisbeth flew by her side, hammer out and ready, matching Sakuya's frenzied attack blow for blow. As she did, however, she couldn't help but glance occasionally to the side, and check on the progress of Kirito and Asuna.

"Keep safe, you two," she whispered.

* * *

><p>Impressive as the Horseman of Death's ability was though, his fellows were no less terrifying in their own ways. Famine was still pouring forth a terrible black fog at regular intervals. Sapping strength, destroying items, dispelling buffs. Even Fairy wings, an intrinsic part of their nature, were not immune. Once covered in his mist, they too would fade for a brief time.<p>

Leafa stumbled, her wings fading as the magic vanished, and she fell on the floor in a mild daze, right in front of Death as he finished off another player. The reaper lifted up his scythe as he prepared to finish her off too, swinging...

... she shut her eyes...

And then a loud clang made her open them up again, as she realized she'd been spared Death's stroke.

Recon stood over her, grimly holding off the scythe whose blade along was bigger than any lance with a knife that could've just as easily come from a kitchen table. And bless his heart, he was winning, though his life points were so few it was barely more than a faint sliver of red left. He pushed back as hard as he could, driving back Death's attack. This gave Leafa the time she needed to scoop up her katana and roll to the side, slashing out at the Horseman's ribcage, driving him back. She may have been grateful for Recon's timely rescue but that didn't mean she was some helpless damsel who couldn't fight too.

"Thanks," she said.

"Anytime," Recon replied, switching his grip on his knife and lifting up his other hand, beginning an incantation. "Bolla Goku Zo'sho Allryuza Fika-Nu!"

Leafa didn't recognize the incantation, but whatever it was, it sounded powerful. The air seemed to ripple as Recon intoned the words. The appropriate runes manifested around his body, then quickly spun around and appeared in his hand as a multicolored orb of light. It was so bright it didn't just glow, it seemed to drain light from the surrounding area like a sponge, soaking it all up. Just as Leafa feared she or Recon were going to go blind, he unleashed the spell.

"**Cosmic Wave**!"

A rainbow-infused blast of energy poured from Recon's palm, speeding through the air to slam fully into the specter of Death. Its health continued to drop as Recon burned through his mana to keep the spell up, slowly but surely wearing it down. As well as keeping it more or less paralyzed as it tried to fight the wave. Which meant it was the perfect time to strike.

Thus, Argo made her move. Razor sharp claws extended from her gauntlets as she dropped her stealth and launched herself into the air, latching on to the Horseman's back and proceeded to tear it to pieces.

* * *

><p>Kirito and Asuna were experts at the art of switching in combat, having been some of the very first to utilize the technique. Years of practice later, they flowed so smoothly it was like watching a perfectly performed ballet dance. Not a movement was wasted, not a second lost. Their swords hammered away at Heathcliff's nearly impenetrable defense, chipping away at his life every time he left an opportunity. The final boss was slowly edging his way left as they rained down damage, and Asuna spotted an opening low in his defenses. Wasting no time, she struck, fully ready to block a blow from above if Heathcliff anticipated her attack.<p>

Heathcliff, however, had been subtly maneuvering himself to the left as a feint. When next Asuna struck, he twisted his feet and sprung forward. Not slashing from above with his sword, as expected, but slamming into her with his shield like a battering ram. Asuna flew through the air as if struck by a cannonball, tumbling along the marble floor and rolling until she struck the far wall, where she collapsed, momentarily stunned.

"Asuna!"

"Mama!"

Yui instantly slipped out of Kirito's pocket and flew to Asuna's side. Kirito turned his head to watch, hoping they were both okay. It was a mistake to take his eyes off of his opponent, however, and the final boss made him pay dearly for it. His next holy sword strike impacted hard against Kirito's side, nearly knocking him off-balance. His life meter fell still lower, even as he blocked the next attack and glared darkly at Heathcliff.

"May want to stay focused, Kirito," Heathcliff said calmly, his expression completely unperturbed by the death glare thrown his way.

A bow twanged, and a glowing arrow imbedded itself in Heathcliff's shield as he swung it around to intercept the attack. The momentary distraction, however, was enough for Kirito to close in and strike at the man's collar, his blade digging in hard and leaving a trail of red pixels in their wake as damage continued to accumulate.

"Ha, bulls-eye," Sinon said, reaching behind her and tugging another arrow out of her quiver, drawing it taut in her bow, and sighting along the length.

"One shot..." she whispered, then let the arrow fly.

This arrow Heathcliff was ready for, swatting it out of the air without his shield to land by the feet of Klein and Agil, who were busy trying to overpower the War Horseman. The two men ducked under a swing of a swinging hammer big as a barrel and rolled in opposite directions.

"Hit him high!" shouted Klein, charging up his katana until it glowed a bright scarlet. "I'll hit him low!"

Agil nodded, axe shining emerald as the two men leapt from opposite directions, striking hard, striking fast, never slowing down, never letting up. Meanwhile, Lisbeth led a charge of several fairies after the first Horseman followed by Silica and Leafa. The white mount reared up, heavy hoofs lashing out and scattering the Salamanders in front as the three of them worked around the side to flank the conquering mini-boss.

This however, proved to be a mistake, as it put them in the crosshairs for his next attack.

Three arrows flew from his bow, fired simultaneously. Each impacted hard. In Lisbeth's shoulder, Silica's gut, and Leafa's bosom. They took negligible damage, and in a flash the arrows were gone. They resumed the attack.

But the Horseman grinned wickedly, for his attack was not over. As each girl watched in horror, an icon lit up beside their names and their cursors turned dull green as a de-buff took effect. Digital lines of sickly teal began manifesting on their limbs and faces, descending up and down into their clothes and armor as the Horseman's sickness took them over.

"Help! Healer!" screamed Lisbeth, staring at her hands as the sickness spread.

"Medic!" cried Leafa, trying to keep to her feet as the de-buff continued to sap strength from her.

Pina cawed as it swooped around Silica's head, and a torrent of bubbles manifested over her as the feathered dragon used its abilities to heal the beast tamer. Alas, the poison was too strong, Pina's efforts only kept her mistress from dropping into the red zone too quickly.

"Look out!" shouted Leafa.

Silica screamed as the conquering Horseman took aim at her, powering up an attack meant to finish her off in one blow, and likely would. No less than _seven_ arrows had been knocked simultaneously.

"Help!" she squeaked out, shielding her face and hoping it wouldn't hurt too much.

Someone slipped in front of her, and Silica dared to peek, hoping she'd been saved. Was it Kirito? No, the figure was too tall, and far too slender. A woman, though it wasn't Asuna.

It was Rosalia.

The Salamander redhead stood grimly as the Horseman charged his arrows, lifting up her spear in front of her and twirling it along its center with her hands, spinning her weapon around at a pace no human could normally compete with. Clearly, she meant to try and block the arrows as Pestilence opened fire with all seven. Violet eyes narrowed as Rosalia tried to deflect them all.

She managed six, each of which were blocked by the weapons haft.

One slid past her spinning weapon and impaled her, though thankfully nowhere vital. Grimacing, Rosalia tugged the arrow out of her thigh, and it exploded into light as the plague started to spread across her skin, lighting it up a sickly shade of teal.

"T-thanks," Silica said, her teeth still chattering.

Rosalia nodded grimly. "I owed you one. Probably more than one," she said remorsefully, planting her spear and offering the smaller girl a hand up. Silica took it easily, even as Pina circled around them both once to land on her shoulder.

"We've still got trouble coming our way," Rosalia said, twirling her spear over her shoulder and re-positioning it in both hands, pointed tip upraised, bottom planted in the ground to absorb the charge.

* * *

><p>"I've got to help them!" Asuna said as she crawled to her feet.<p>

"Go, I've got this!" Kirito replied, picking up the slack generated by her absence, hammering away at Heathcliff's shield, chipping his life down bit by bit. They were making progress, he was inching closer to the middle of his full health.

"Yui, go help your father!" Asuna instructed, lightly tossing up the tiny pixie in her hand, who sped over to Kirito's side once more. The Undine Healer turned her focus to those suffering ill effects from the Black and White Horsemen, holding up her hands in front of her and chanting in the language of magic. As one of the parties top healers, her effects were able to reach almost everyone in the room, healing damage, mending injuries and more importantly, raising spirits.

As the effects of Famine's mist and Pestilence's arrows receded, players felt considerably better. One or the other was bad enough, even if damage was at a minimal the de-buffs still hurt a great deal. To say nothing of trying to fight while under their influence. It was like trying to slosh through mud and battle with twigs and harsh language. Taking to the air was no better, as it felt like trying to fly through thick syrup. As soon as Asuna's spells took effect, the players were moving at their regular speeds and quickly bounced back into the fray, many sending a wave of thanks her way.

Unfortunately, her kindness did not go unnoticed by the Horsemen either. Apparently it riled them up something fierce.

The War Horseman came barreling down, swatting aside a pair of Gnomes trying to hinder him, and focused his attention on Asuna, who drew her rapier in response and stood her ground, eyes flashing.

Before it could hit, Sinon took another shot, this time aiming for the grim Horseman about to slice Asuna in two. Her arrow impaled it in the weak spot between its helmet and neck, catching its attention. Unfortunately, no one else seemed to be able to divert it back to themselves, caught up in their own battles as they were. With a snap of the reins, the red horse and its rider were charging through the air towards her perch.

"Oh hell," she cursed calmly, leaping out of the way seconds before a jagged sword nearly impaled the alcove where she'd been perched. She fired off another shot as she spun in mid-air and flew away, trying to put some distance between her foe and herself. It was persistent, unfortunately, and she was struck a glancing blow by its sword, eating up her life points and sending her careening to the ground. The next blow might well finish her off. Sinon was built for dishing out damage at a distance, not taking it up close.

As War reared back on his horse and came for her, a pair of Undine players intercepted, a gray-haired man and woman in para-military garments of azure and cerulean. They threw up their weapons, catching War's dual sword and hammer with each of theirs and driving him back. Sinon added insult to injury by firing off another arrow while the Horseman's weapons were preoccupied, catching him right in the face with a Frostfire Arrow. Dual ice and flame piled damage on the brute while her rescuers waved to her.

Sinon tossed off a military salute and quickly looked for another alcove to perch in, readying her next arrow. This one she was going to ram right down someone's throat.

* * *

><p>"Attack!"<p>

"Re-Focus on the red guy, he's weakening!"

"Watch out!"

"Hold the line! Do not falter!"

"Get down!"

"Healer!"

"Out of my way!"

"Re-Cast those Buffs! They're fading!"

"Go!"

"Attack! Attack!"

Shouts and cries were intermixed with explosive spells, clanging metals, and dragon roars. Overall, however, it was starting to sound more and more desperate for the raid party.

"Papa! Your life points!"

"It's okay!" Kirito replied, not taking his eyes off of Heathcliff. He didn't have time to reach for a healing crystal or call over a spell caster. He needed to end this quickly.

Despite his lack of back-up, Kirito pressed his attack.

Heathcliff continued to calmly block his attacks, even as Kirito's pushed him back. Having a greater feel for his opponents moves now, the Black Swordsman lashed out with a vicious three-hit combo meant to throw Heathcliff off-balance with the first two strikes, then impale him on the third.

Even as he struck, he knew instantly it was a mistake. Heathcliff trapped the sword with his own and twisted, yanking the blade out of Kirito's grasp. It went skidding across the ground to land in front of the Horsemen's thrones. He barely had time to react as Heathcliff brought up his sword and slashed downwards, ripping a long stretch of crimson across Kirito's shoulder and chest. The force of the blow knocked him back to the very edge of the circle. Kirito cast out a look at the room, even as his gaze flicked to the party list to show actual stats.

Simply put, it was a catastrophe.

Salamander, Sylph and Cait-Sith forces were in wild disarray, healers trying valiantly to keep those closest to death alive, to say nothing of themselves. Half of the Fuurinkazan had fallen, while the others were furiously trying to revive them. Klein alone stood in front of them protectively, even as the Pale Horse and its rider advanced menacingly towards them. Agil, nearby, was helpless... his weapon had crumbled to ash thanks to the Horsemen's attacks. Lisbeth and Recon were trying to protect him, but they were exhausted of mana and low on health as well.

Another cry, and Eugene fell, crippled by diseased arrows. Rosalia quickly followed, impaled through the torso by War's jagged sword. Her body erupted into crimson flame that quickly dwindled down to a tiny ball. Silica and Pina went to try and save her, but their magic wasn't sufficiently powerful for a resurrection. He couldn't see hide nor hair of Sinon or Argo, but imagined they weren't faring much better. And not a single Horseman had fallen yet, nor brought down to less than two life bars.

Heathcliff took this all in at a glance, and smiled as he flicked his sword and repositioned himself to administer a finishing blow, walking almost casually behind Kirito as the Spriggan boy slumped to his knees.

"Well... Kirito... it seems this is where your journey comes to an end. A valiant effort... but ultimately... you've lost."

* * *

><p><strong><span>Authors Notes:<br>**I got nothing.


	5. Final Victory

Just when all seemed hopeless, a ray of hope shined down, piercing through the darkness.

Or more precisely, a pair of voices penetrated the sounds of death and dying with just what Kirito needed:

"Kirito!" cried Asuna.

"Bro!" shouted Leafa.

"**CATCH**!" they exclaimed simultaneously.

Instinctively, he reached out, his hands closing over cool steel. When awareness followed his action, Kirito realized both Asuna and Leafa had just tossed him their swords. A slender rapier and a curved katana rested easily in his hands. Without even thinking he swiftly brought them up in an X shaped cross above his head, blocking the downward swing of Heathcliff's holy sword seconds before it split him vertically in half.

With a sharp twist he threw off the blade and turned to face the final boss ionce again, dark eyes blazing with intensity like they were lit by black fire.

"We're not done yet, Kayaba!" he roared.

Heathcliff was still smiling, that infuriating grin that Kirito longed to wipe clean off his smug face. He stood ready as Kirito charged forward, his blades upraised. Dual wielding did not exist as an actual skill in Alfheim Online, but Kirito had learned a while back to replicate a similar effect based purely on muscle memory and incredible persistence. He threw himself fully into the technique now, katana and rapier slashing through the air at nearly inconceivable speeds, looking like flashes of light rather than tangible metal.

"That's it! Take him down!"

"Goooo Kiritoooo!"

"Rip him apart!"

"You can do it, Papa!"

"Kick his &_%%_!"

One foot was firmly planted to keep his balance, but the other just kept pushing him off into spin after spin. He spun on his heel and hit again, and again, his attacks coming with increasing velocity as his determination to end this battle rose to newfound heights. He had to do this, to save them all, to protect his friends. To protect his _family_!

To win this!

Faster. _Faster_! **_FASTER_!**

Blows rained down like meteors, rippling the air around the two combatants, making the whole cathedral seem to quake from each sword strike. Heathcliff, for his part, seemed to be barely able to keep up, his shield shuddering under each powerful blow until it was almost torn from his hand, knocked well clear of his body. He was about to pull it back in close protectively, but a mighty black arrow sped through the air and clanged hard against the inside of the metal shield, wrenching it out of his hand and sending it clattering to the ground. Sinon smirked from her perch high above, still sighting down along her bow as if it was the scope of her Hecate rifle.

With a mighty, wordless cry of outrage and defiance, Kirito spun around and drew back both arms until the tips of his new weapons were in line with his chest... then thrust HARD.

Without his massive tower shield to properly protect him, Heathcliff was almost comically defenseless as the two blades slid into his chest and did not stop until the sharp tips erupted from his back, going clear through his heavy plate mail as if it wasn't even there. The critical hits instantly brought his life to absolute zero, and it winked out of existence in microseconds.

"You lose, Kayaba!"

At the defeat of the ultimate boss, the Four Horsemen froze like statues, some of them in mid-swing. Without a word, they leaned back in their saddles and lowered their weapons, then burst into fragmented pixels of light, vanishing. As they went, so too did their effects, leaving everyone in good condition, if not necessarily at full health. With them gone, everyone turned their attention to the center, where Heathcliff and Kirito were still locked together.

The gray-haired man coughed as he slumped to his knees, the swords still buried in his chest. Impaled right through the virtual heart and lungs. Even if it wasn't the real Heathcliff... the real _Kayaba_... it was surprisingly realistic. Blood dribbled down one corner of his mouth along his chin, though he still did not break his composure even now.

"Well done... Kirito. Very well done," said the gray-haired man, color fading from his virtual avatar as he struggled to breathe. His hands came up to cling to the lapels of Kirito's coat, pulling on it with what strength remained to him. "This is... _your_... world now. Make it a good one," he pleaded softly, before exploding in a flash of bright light, pixels raining down as his form vanished into the digital ether. Kirito could only watch as his opponent faded away.

He half-expected a window to appear in the air above, with "Quest Completed" written on it. Instead, a banner unfurled itself above the four thrones, the same crimson as Heathcliff's armor, and stitched with gold thread. Golden writing that spelled out a simple message they'd all been waiting for ages to finally experience for themselves.

«**Victory**»

* * *

><p>Kirito collapsed as all the strength fled his body, his limbs weak as he fell to his knees on the ground, his swords clattering nearby. Half of the party were of a like mind, some slumped against the walls or each other for support, though some of the healers still floated to and fro, casting healing spells to ensure no one hovered overly close to death's door. Those few who had fallen were also revived in short, as multicolored balls of flame were rekindled into smiling players. Everyone was soon restored. No one had been irretrievably lost.<p>

"Is it over?" asked Agil hesitantly, brushing the back of his hand against his bald head and breathing heavily. Felt like he'd just taken part in a triathlon... on Jupiter.

Kirito glanced up at the banner overhead once more, nodding in confirmation. There were no last tricks, traps, or snares to be found here. The final boss was defeated, the last dungeon cleared. Victory was theirs.

"We won..." Asuna breathed, then clasped her hands to muffle a girlish giggle. "We WON!"

"Woohoo!" cheered Klein, throwing up his arms, fists raised high.

Cheers erupted from the others in their party, followed by whoops of joy and cries of astonishment. Faeries took to the air as they celebrated the end of a long and difficult quest. Klein's guild mates were bumping fists and high-fiving, two chest bumped in mid-air to laughter from all around. Lisbeth even picked up poor Silica and spun her around in an impromptu dance. Everyone's inventory filled with Yrd as their experience climbed to new and ever more impressive heights. More than a few gave individual cheers of making another advancement with their skills.

The doors to the cathedral began to creak open as their exit was made available.

Kirito smiled as he pushed himself back to his feet, reclaiming his own sword and using it as a crutch. His wife offered him her hand, and he accepted as he climbed the rest of the way up. Everyone around them was rapidly cheering, the walls almost reverberating with all the noise. Kirito was fairly sure he was going to go deaf if it continued like this for much longer. Which is why, when the sound began to die down, he almost passed it off as his imagination. Then one of his long elven ear twitched. No, he was more certain now. He heard something. A strange sort of whistling noise. One rapidly growing in volume.

The whistling noise stretched out longer and louder as more and more started to take notice of it. And then just as it seemed everyone was starting to hear it, it was followed by a boom, a muffled explosion, high off in the distance. The cathedral windows lit up as something took place outside.

"What was that?"

"What's happening?!"

"Fireball?!"

"Was that an explosion?"

"Look out! The quest isn't over!"

Suddenly they remembered. Kirito and Asuna shared a glance as the same thought flitted past their minds. Everyone else had been more or less instantly logged off following his defeat, but when Kayaba had been beaten in the original Sword Art Online, Aincrad had crumbled to pieces, floor by floor, until nothing was left. They'd watched it from far above. And if that was happening again...

Kirito was instantly moving, sprinting to the doors, even launching himself over the heads of a particularly slow pair of players in his way. He pushed the heavy doors fully open when they were taking too long, and stepping out immediately into the courtyard in front of the Ruby Palace. A bright flash of light forced him to avert his gaze before he stubbornly looked back up to see what they were dealing with.

The night sky was on fire. Bright bursts of light and color erupted overhead, the bangs much louder now as everyone flocked to join Kirito outside.

"Is it another attack?!" asked Klein, already reaching for his weapon. Agil placed a hand on his shoulder, halting him.

"No," said Sinon, awe coloring her voice as she recognized the bursts of light for what they are. "They're fireworks."

Everyone's gaze turned skyward as the beautiful explosions of light, sound and color filled the air, ranging every conceivable shade of the rainbow. From brilliant cobalt to shining emerald to bright violet and crimson. It was like a great hand had carelessly tossed countless shooting stars into the night sky. Scattered amongst the standard bursts were words written in light. 'Congratulations!' and 'Dungeon Cleared!' and 'Well Done' filled the sky in lettering easily hundreds of feet high. Ever far below down in Alfheim, in the cities of Swilvane and Gattan and Alne, there wouldn't be a single player logged into the game unable to see it and know exactly what it meant.

The gates of the Ruby Palace cathedral were already starting to close, now that everyone was out. Others would come and challenge the Final Boss of the Top Floor for one Last Battle. What they would find was a mystery, perhaps Kayaba was finally gone and the Heathcliff avatar wouldn't be there. But Kirito and his friends had been the first to truly win against him and clear Aincrad.

"We won," Kirito said softly, eyeing the dancing lights in the sky above. "We finally finished it."

* * *

><p><strong><span>Authors Notes:<br>**I leave it to your imaginations whether or not that was the _real_ Akihiko Kayaba virtually resurrected by his World Seed or a cheap digital copy of him. In the end, it doesn't really matter.


	6. Epic Festivity

Fireworks continued to burst and boom overhead as everyone settled comfortably in the Ruby Palace courtyard to watch, savoring the feeling of victory. Only one seemed utterly uninterested in the dazzling display above.

"Oh man this is _so_ awesome!" said Argo, gleefully writing down everything she could as fast as she could. She had a photographic memory, so it was unlikely she'd forget details, but it was easier to share information that was stored digitally. "I can't wait to sell this on the forums. Later Ki-bou!" she said giving a wave as a white light engulfed her avatar and she logged off, vanishing.

Kirito laughed at that, ever amused by how quickly Argo vanished whenever money was involved. Still, he was grateful she'd come and joined them. No matter how much coin there was in the world, Argo's loyalty was still solid gold.

For his own part though, Kirito just gazed up at the sky in undisguised awe, not having felt sort of naked, unbridled joy since he'd been a little kid. He scarcely even noticed as Asuna drifted over to his side and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. It just felt so perfectly natural for her to be there with him. The fireworks lit up their faces as they basked in the moment. Yui floated over their heads, sprinkling pixie dust down atop of her joyous parents, as the sky above them continued to dance and spark with yet more fireworks.

Everyone else was doing much the same, as many of the fairies took to the sky, dancing in slow circles or arcs overhead, giggling and laughing. Klein seemed inclined to try and shout himself stupid, and most of his oldest friends in the Fuurinkazan were following suit as they cheered for their victory again and again. Some of the players were passing around drinks. General Eugene had brought along a bottle of the finest Salamander blood wine good Yrd could buy, and was sharing it with anyone brave enough to risk it. Since it carried with it a hefty drunken de-buff that only the strongest constitutions could shake it off quickly, not everyone was anxious to try it.

Agil went back for seconds.

The two men laughed as their glasses clinked together in toast, while Klein nearby looked ready to lose his virtual lunch, his display still a little blurry as he stumbled about on wobbly legs. When he finally managed to shake off the effects of the wine, however, and his vision cleared, everything came back into sharp focus.

Including the sight of Leafa giggling, standing up on her tiptoes to reward Recon with a chaste peck on the cheek. The green-haired boy went red as his health bar in seconds, prompting a fresh round of laughter from those around. He didn't hear any of it, scarcely felt anything other than the warmth of his cheek and the rapid-fire beating of his heart.

"When the heck did that happen?" asked Agil, rubbing his head in confusion as he, Klein and Silica observed the young Sylph couple.

Beside him, Silica shrugged and the spiky-haired Salamander sighed as yet another pretty young woman in their ranks was snatched up by someone else. True, Leafa was really Kirito's _younger_ sister, and thus probably off limits twice over by those two facts alone. But still, he couldn't help but be sad everyone time someone else found their special someone. All it did was make him feel more alone.

"Why is life so unfair?" he whined piteously.

Sensing his distress, the Lady Sakuya detached herself from her guards and floated over, gently laying a hand on the younger faerie's shoulder. "Do not despair, young Salamander. Your courage and loyalty have not gone unnoticed. More than that, you have a kind heart. I am sure any number of ladies would count themselves fortunate to hold your affections for themselves."

Klein tilted his head up to gaze at the long-haired Sylph, marveling at her graceful beauty, watching as the light of the fireworks reflected off of her. Lighting up her jade eyes and making her long, silky hair shine like emeralds. "Thanks," he managed to say, after he found his voice again. "I guess I needed to hear that. You're very wise, Lady Sakuya."

She laughed at that, unfurling her fan to hide her face. "Well I _am_ a teacher in real life. I suppose some of it is bound to shine through."

"A teacher?"

"Well... just an assistant teacher," she amended. "For now at least."

"If you're an assistant teacher, that must mean you're not all that... uh-uhm..." he blinked as he realized what he was about to say, the forbidden word you never used around a woman, and his mind quickly hit the brakes and backpedalled hard.

Sakuya quirked an eyebrow, "Yesss?" she asked, playful smile hidden behind her fan as her eyes glinted mischievously. She seemed to peer right inside his mind, following his thought process as easily as if reading a book, but said nothing, just waited for him to reply.

Quickly coming up with something more suitable, he hesitantly said "Uhm... close to... uh, my age... right?"

This only made her laugh even harder. It did not take long to see right through his attempts to be subtle.

She smiled behind her fan. He certainly was a very interesting young man.

* * *

><p>A pair of drunken Gnomes were floating overhead in wobbly figure eights, dancing amidst the fireworks, as Silica laughed at everyone's silly behavior. Since it was digital and not harmful to her real-world self, she'd been allowed a chance to partake in the wine as well but decided to decline. She had no interest in drinking a poison just to act silly. Kirito and Asuna had both praised her for her very mature decision.<p>

Alicia floated down to sit beside her on a short stone wall, overlooking the side of Aincrad and the vast space below all the way down to Alfheim. She swayed a little, tipsy, but otherwise looked fairly alert as the cat-like ears atop of her head twitched.

Pina, curled up between the two and sunning like a cat in the moonlight, lifted its head up as the blonde girl shifted too close to her, startling her awake. Pina gave a tiny roar as it yawned, which was as far from ferocious looking as you could get.

"Aww, who's a cute little dragon? You are... yes you are...!" Alicia tickled under the feathered dragon's chin, making it almost purr in delight at the attention it was receiving.

Silica laughed so hard she fell on her back and rolled over onto her stomach, lifting her head and planting her palms against her cheeks to keep it up.

"He's the bestest little guy ever," she declared firmly, daring anyone to contradict her.

The Lady of the Cait-Siths certainly couldn't argue, not with the cute little beast nuzzling against her palm, but one thing always had made her curious. "Hey, I've been meaning to ask... why do you still have this tiny little feather dragon? Shouldn't your taming skill be higher by now?"

"It maxed out ages ago," Silica replied, running a hand along Pina's back, making the little thing arch in response to her touch. "I just really like Pina."

"Can I ask why?"

The pigtailed fairy hesitated. It wasn't a story she shared with just anyone. It had taken her ages just to tell Kirito and Asuna. "Promise not to laugh?"

"Cross my heart," the older Cait-Sith replied, hand raised up solemnly.

"I had this cat once," Silica explained. "When I was only seven. An older Siamese we'd adopted when it's owner couldn't take care of it anymore. It got really sick one day. I didn't really understand what had happened when suddenly, out of the blue, he was just gone. I realized later he'd died while I'd been at school. My parents didn't want to burden me with the information so I thought he'd just up and run away. And then, to top it off, just a little while before I joined Sword Art Online they got a new cat. They named this one Munchkin. I didn't like him. I thought he was trying to replace my first cat, so I shunned him. But then the game started, and... I realized I missed him. Even more then my parents, sometimes. How messed up is that?"

"So when I got Pina in Sword Art, which was such a rare find, I guess I got attached because this was a pet that wouldn't ever leave me. And then I got even more attached when players kept leaving me, but Pina never did. There was only one time I thought I'd really lost her... I almost did too, but Kirito helped save her. That was how we met, in fact."

"Really? Guy's sure got a great big heart, doesn't he?" Alicia said with a grin, well remembering her own first encounter with the brave Spriggan who'd almost single-handedly managed to thwart a coup and save an alliance.

"Sure does," said Silica, smiling.

"And Pina's been with you ever since?"

"Mhmm!"

"That's not funny, that's a sweet story," said Alicia. "... think maybe it's time to let go though?"

Silica shivered at the very thought of it. "Why would I do that?"

"Well, for one thing there are much bigger, stronger drakes you can tame..." realizing how weak that excuse sounded, Alicia went for the main reason. "But for another... it's not healthy to always cling to something."

Silica peered down at little Pina, setting her down on the ground in front of her. The tiny little dragon peered up at her with wide eyes, giving a confused mewl, like it sensed her distress. It was probably just how her program worked. The creators of Sword Art Online, Kayaba especially, had done extensive work to make beasts and monsters behave in a way that seemed real. Probably spent a fortune on studies of real world animals and their behaviors. Pets like Pina had personalities, monitored by the myriad programs that made up the game. In a lot of ways, Pina was just like a real pet. And that made what she'd said earlier even more true. A pet that would never abandon her, never old, never die. But also never grow, never change...

But Silica could. And had.

"No," said the pigtailed fairy, picking up the diminutive drake and nuzzling her cheek against its cheek. It responded by playfully nipping at her nose, which tickled. "Pina is my friend, and she's no different from a real pet. Any more than Yui is different from a real daughter to Kirito and Asuna. And if she's always there for me... well, then I've always got to be there for her, right?"

The blonde Cait-Sith smiled, nodding. "You're absolutely right."

* * *

><p>Crack, bang and flash went the fireworks high up in the sky as time continued to crawl by slowly.<p>

As the celebration continued, Rosalia excused herself from the main company of revelers to be more alone with her thoughts, settling against a nearby wall of the Ruby Palace and leaning back, staring up at the night sky.

Simply put, she didn't feel good. Oh, she didn't feel terribly bad. She'd been part of something monumental that night, finishing off the final level, but really, she hadn't come here for any sort of personal accomplishment or a small mountain of Yrd (not that she said no to the latter, of course). But she'd come here to settle things with Kirito and Silica. And herself, really.

But in the end, she didn't feel any sort of real forgiveness or acceptance. They were just like the police and her psychiatrist, brushing off her problems like it wasn't her fault. They said they forgave her but they clearly didn't like her any more than they had before. Maybe this had been a mistake...

"Excuse me?"

Rosalia lifted her head as three fairies came her way. A Pooka with auburn hair and tasteful glasses, wearing an outfit of green, an Undine with a silvery-blue ponytail and azure robes, and another Undine with gray-hair in a cerulean colored uniform of some sort. The last two Rosalia didn't recognize immediately, but the first she did. Sasha had been a caretaker in the Town of Beginnings to lost children.

"We saw what you did," Sasha said without preamble.

The Salamander lady winced. "Look, uh..."

"Mind if we take a seat?"

Rosalia shrugged, but hoped they would. "It's a free game."

"Oh I'm sorry, I'm being rude. We haven't had new people in a while. My name's Thinker. This is my wife, Yulier. And this is Sasha."

Rosalia tipped her head politely to the Undine couple as they sat down to her left, while Sasha leaned against the wall to her right. Whether or not she'd intended such, she loomed over Rosalia in a very uncomfortable manner. Idly she plucked at the strings of her lyre, possibly in an attempt to tune it. Whatever the case, it was emitting a low-level hum every time a string was plucked, which helped settle Rosalia's nerves.

"We were hoping to talk to you," said Thinker. "We saw you save the little Cait-Sith's life at the risk of your own."

She shrugged. "It's not important," Rosalia dismissed it. "It's not like she was in any real danger. Or I was. It's just a game."

Sasha shook her head at that, and Thinker didn't seem to agree either.

"I don't think any of us who lived through Sword Art can really think of this as just a game anymore," she said.

"We know for ourselves the value a single good act can have," Yulier explained, speaking up for the first time. "There's no doubt in our minds what you did was a good thing. And, well, what with the Titan's Hand trouble and all..."

"How do you know about that?" Rosalia asked, eyes wide and fearful all of a sudden.

Thinker gave a sympathetic smile, laced with guilt. "We overheard. I'm sorry."

"I... I guess it's alright," Rosalia said morosely. "I mean, not like it's a secret. Everybody will probably know by now."

The older man nodded. "And we just wanted to let you know that, if you decide... or they decide... you can't stay with Kirito and company... well, maybe you can adventure with us sometimes."

"T-thank you," she said, truly touched.

Another crackle of light burst overhead, blue and red lights in the sky arranged like a roses and lilies. Thinker laughed aloud at the sight as he took a seat.

"Well then, enough of that. This is a party, we can afford to let our hair down here."

Yulier rolled her eyes but reached up and undid the clasp in her hair, letting the silvery-blue strands to cascade around her neck and shoulders. It instantly made her look much more relaxed.

"Still a little of the wine left," she noted, examining the bottle in hand.

"Oh well then, don't spare me dear, go right ahead," Thinker replied, holding out his cup.

She dutifully poured it, as well as refilled Sasha's cup and produced another for Rosalia, who accepted it, but did not yet drink. Thinker, however, chugged it back in almost one gulp.

"Mmmm, it's..." Hiccup. "_De_lishi_ous_s..."

The red-head rolled her eyes as she glanced over at him. "You know you're not really getting drunk, right?"

His slur vanished instantly. "I'm a role-player at heart, Rosie," he replied with a playful grin, the slur back in seconds as his wife rolled her eyes and tenderly punched him in the arm.

Rosalia rolled her eyes as well, but was still smiling. Despite the silly antics of her fellow players, she actually felt more relaxed now. There was a warm, heartfelt camaraderie to be found here, not like the bullying and money grubbing and back-stabbing Titan's Hand had gone through. Nor was it anything like the cold emptiness that had followed her when she'd been on her own.

As she watched the fireworks erupt in the air, she felt a sense of peace wash over her soul like a refreshing river washed over hot embers, soothing her turbulent emotions and bringing her a measure of peace she hadn't felt since the day Kirito had outmatched her. Yes, she'd done wrong. She made her share of mistakes. But no longer would those mistakes be shackles weighing her down for the rest of her life. Instead, she imagined them falling from her, tumbling right over the side of Aincrad and drifting off in the breeze. She was moving forward now, towards a better life.

* * *

><p>Finishing off the Final Boss and his apocalyptic Horsemen had taken long enough, but the partying still continued long into the evening as the fireworks seemed to go on for hours and hours. The fireworks had grown more elaborate as time had gone on, forming great shapes in the night sky like glittering emerald trees and huge golden dragons. Some of the players finally, reluctantly, bid their farewells and logged out. Many still had jobs or school in the morning, or family, or any number of other obligations in the real world.<p>

In the end, only a handful remained, too caught up in the moment to even think about the time.

Asuna floated over to Kirito's side, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and drawing him into her embrace. Her lips brushed feather-light against his cheek, soft as a dove's wing.

"Well done, Kirito," she congratulated him.

Yui floated down to join them as well, engulfed in a bright light of her own before assuming her full-sized form and sitting down with them in Asuna's lap. Those who remained knew the truth of her existence, and barely batted an eye at her transformation. Like Kirito and Asuna, it seemed perfectly natural that their daughter would want to join them in enjoying the fireworks. The sky was still bursting with them as they rained down colored lights over everyone, touching every heart and soul, filling them with light and joy. In the distance, Kirito could see the sun rising on the horizon, signaling a new dawn for Alfheim. They must've been playing all night without realizing it.

Kirito didn't even feel tired, just exhilarated. If there had been just one more floor, he would've been heading there now. Idly he wondered if he flew high enough he could touch the stars, or if the game would prevent him from reaching that sort of height.

The timing of the rising sun was appropriate though, he mused, because it was also in many ways a new age for all of them. One game had ended, as Kirito had promised. But there were more games to play, more challenges to face, worlds to create, explore, and learn from. And more importantly, a journey to undertake still not over. Without a word shared between them, it became obvious that they were all going to keep playing together. For a very long time.

Kirito led them as they followed the sunlight and onwards to another adventure.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Authors Notes:<br>**One chapter left, and a new adventure awaiting.


	7. New Adventure

Yui opened her eyes.

She was confused. She didn't remember going to sleep. Automatically she checked her data logs to see if she'd been momentarily switched off. Curiously they didn't pop up. So she tried to run an algorithm and examine her history. Also nothing. Strange.

Everything felt strange, actually. Everything looked... for lack of a better word... different. Yet the same. Her mind felt like it was wrapped in a thick cloth, slow and dull. At the same time, her senses had never felt sharper.

Things had never felt so _real_ before.

She was in a room, very spartan. Apart from the bed and a dresser, there was virtually no furniture. Everything was either white or a very pale shade of blue. The far wall had a window showing a beautiful early evening sky, and flakes of snow falling as she watched in rapid fascination.

"Yui. You're awake? How are you feeling?"

She almost jumped, she hadn't realized she wasn't alone until that very moment. A woman with long, brilliant orange-red hair and the sweetest, softest of features, standing by her bedside. Yui would have recognized her anywhere.

Mama. And Papa was there too, sitting in a chair a little further back, dressed all in black like he usually did. They looked the same, but at the same time they looked very different. More solid, and also more careworn.

"Mama. Papa. Where are we?"

"Go see for yourself," said her Papa, indicating the far wall. There was another tiny window there, and a small sink.

Mama's face scrunched up oddly. "Kazuto, is that smart? She may still have weak legs."

"Let her try," he insisted.

Both her parents were right, in their own ways. Her legs did feel a bit unsteady underneath her, and her wing function refused to activate, but she did want to see. More than anything, it felt intensely important to her, so she made her way over to the sink and rested her hands on it, leaning up to peer at the strange window. She gasped at the image there, then moved forward again, standing on her tiptoes to make sure.

It was her, staring back at her. A mirror, not a window.

Her face looked odd though, and her hair strange. A darker shade than it had been previously. Also, what had happened to her ears? She ran her hands along her features, puzzling over them in the mirror as her reflection did the same. She looked... similar... to her last appearance. But it was like a drawing, done by an artist who had never seen her yet heard her described in vivid detail. Similar, but subtly different. Younger too, somehow. Was there a glitch in her data? And why couldn't she check her code?

"Papa, something feels wrong. Is this a new game? It doesn't feel like its compatible for me. I think something's off with my data but I can't quite access it."

"Yui... this isn't a game. This is the _real_ world."

Her eyes widened to such a size it was a wonder they didn't fall out of her head. This was... real?

"Are you alright, Yui?" asked Kazuto, moving to check on her, misunderstanding her distress. "Is something wrong?"

"No!" she protested. "I'm fine, I think... I'm...!"

She stumbled, her legs weak and atrophied, but Papa was there to catch her. Gently, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to the bed, sitting her down on the edge. A moment later she was back on her feet, but did not stray far from the bed, using it to help keep her balance.

"Are you alright then?" asked Asuna, concern lacing her tone. "Are you in pain?"

"I don't think so," said Yui slowly. "It feels different, but not bad. I don't think I'm in pain. That's good, right?"

Kazuto nodded. Pain in real life was a near universal signal something was wrong.

"How did this happen?" she asked.

Her parents exchanged a look.

"Sit down and we'll tell you."

Yui obediently sat back down on the bed. Asuna fluffed her pillow as Kazuto sat on the edge and proceeded to explain.

"Well, the original process we worked out was the easy part," he said. "If we can upload data from a human mind into a game... well, logically, we can do the opposite. Download data from a game into a human body."

"The trouble was you didn't have one," Asuna continued, gently ruffling Yui's dark hair. It was a pleasant feeling. It tickled, almost, and her hand was warm.

Kazuto nodded as he went on. "Yeah, that was a doozy to overcome. Well, as it turns out... in a way... we still have Akihiko Kayaba to thank for this," Kazuto said carefully.

Asuna glowered at that, hugging Yui close in her arms.

"Mama?"

"I'm not saying what he did was right," said Kazuto, hands held up defensively. "Just..."

She shook her head, long red hair flowing around her shoulders. "It's alright. Go on."

He nodded. "It was one of the original players from Sword Art Online," Kazuto explained. "We're not entirely sure how she died or what caused it. She shouldn't have been playing in the first place, she was so young... but anyway... they found her shortly after she'd died in the game. Thing is, for whatever reason, her death was odd. Primarily because... it seemed she wasn't completely dead."

"She wasn't?" asked Yui.

"We're not sure what went wrong, or why it did. The girl no longer had higher level brain functions, but her organs and nervous system worked perfectly. Her body was alive. She just had no... no consciousness to speak of. No mind. Her mind had been, for lack of a better word... deleted."

Yui shivered at the thought of something like that happening to her. She'd been very lucky indeed her Papa had been able to save her from the Cardinal system in the first place.

Kazuto carried on, perhaps hoping further explanation would make things seem less confusing and scary. "Her parents rather generously agreed to have her given to the medical community for study in an effort to help treat and save millions of others. And we managed to make a deal with the JSDF to have her transferred to our care. And..." he trailed off, gesturing vaguely at Yui. She instantly took his meaning.

That was Yui's body. _That_'s how she was here.

"We hadn't the slightest clue if it would work," added Asuna. "I mean, there were so many ways it could've gone wrong. A computer AI is nothing like how a human brain works."

Kazuto had a theory on that. "My guess would be that the original owner of the body left a sort of template behind, and since Yui's an intuitive AI, she altered her parameters to exist within it. The same way we do when we load into our virtual avatars and..."

He trailed off, seeing Yui's eyes going misty.

"Oh, please don't cry, Yui... we... we thought you'd be happy."

"I _am_ happy," Yui insisted, even as she dabbed at her moist eyes with the palms of her hands. "I'm _so_ happy! Mama! Papa!"

"You're a miracle, Yui," Kazuto said with a smile. The exact specifics no longer mattered. "A miracle."

She was so happy she couldn't hold back her tears any longer, and they trailed down her cheeks in long streams. Kazuto and Asuna both leaned in to draw her into their embrace. They were a family united by the strangest of circumstances, but they were a family.

* * *

><p>As it was still relatively early in the evening, and Yui had been asleep all day (and most of her life, it seemed) they decided to check her out tonight and take her home. Yui was bundled up in an old winter coat of Suguha's. It had once been a vibrant red, but time and wear had faded it to a pinkish color instead. Yui loved it instantly, bundling herself up in it. The rest of her clothes Asuna provided, and Kazuto kept his back turned while Yui changed out of her hospital garb.<p>

It might have been more prudent to wait in the hospital a while longer under observation, nothing like Yui had ever happened before and there was no way of knowing what would happen. As it was, they kept the affair quiet, not wishing to draw undue attention to Yui. Kazuto felt confident the entire thing had been a success, and Asuna agreed to trust his gut.

Before they left though, Kazuto made sure to wipe the records of his NerveGear. They didn't want the military or the government learning about something like this, there was no way of telling how they'd use it. Even if most of the circumstances were fairly unique, it was too great a risk. No, this was a one-time thing. A miracle, a curiosity. Better to let it stay that way.

The doors to the hospital lobby opened, and two proud parents escorted a daughter barely three years younger than they were out into the crisp winter night.

"Ahh!"

Both Kazuto and Asuna turned to her in an instant. "What is it? What's wrong?"

But Yui was smiling. "It's cold," she said, reaching out towards the snow instead of huddling in her jacket away from it. "It feels nice! My whole body is shaking."

"Are you sure you're warm enough?"

"I think so," said Yui, fascinated by her hot breath as it formed into mist in the cool air in front of her. She inhaled and exhaled several times to watch, almost losing track of where she was going as they brought her over to Kazuto's motorcycle.

Kirito had included the sidecar for this trip, and Asuna and Yui squeezed into it, the single seatbelt low across their laps as they donned a pair of helmets. Kazuto slipped his own on, and gunned the motor. Within moments, they were on their way.

* * *

><p>It took a fair bit longer than expected. They'd stumbled into a bit of holiday traffic, and for a while they could do little else other than shiver in their seats as they waited for the cars ahead of them to hurry up. Normally Kirito and Asuna could maneuver around them on his bike, but with the sidecar attached, they were just as stuck as the rest of the vehicles.<p>

Finally, they reached their destination: The Dicey Café.

They came here infrequently, not least of which because the owner was a good friend, but obviously couldn't visit as often as they'd liked. Both were neck deep in their respective studies at Tokyo University. Kazuto was studying Virtual Reality Technologies, while Asuna was majoring in business. She had vague plans to rebuild RECTO Progress Inc, the company her family had held for many years, but they were distant, and right now all she wanted was a good life for herself, Kazuto, and now Yui. A degree was the first step in that process.

The door swung open, allowing them entry, and Kirito quickly shut it behind them to keep the cold air out.

"Kirito!" shouted someone.

Kazuto turned and saw Klein, or rather Ryoutarou, sitting at the bar with a mug in hand.

"Glad you could finally make it! We've been waiting here for hours, haven't we?"

He managed a small smile. "Got a bit of traffic for the last leg," Kazuto said, peering around the room. Familiar faces smiled back at him, amidst many festive red and green decorations. Andrew had obviously been busy setting them up for the holiday, though tonight of course the bar was closed for an invite only party. Only a few were missing, Kazuto imagined they had to work even though it was a holiday. Frankly, he was surprised to see the likes of Klein here, his job had been nothing but cutthroat in recent weeks.

Kazuto cleared his throat to get everyone's attention, inviting them to all look up from their drinks.

"Glad you all could make it," he said. "Thought you'd all like to meet someone."

Gently he placed his hands on Yui's shoulders and guided her forward to present her to the party. She smiled shyly and waved.

"Meet Yui... for the first time in _this_ game."

It was an old joke they sometimes used when meeting or re-introducing someone in their group using a new avatar in another game. But to say it here, in the real world, was certainly new.

Yui was instantly swarmed by the others, all asking questions, all anxious to meet her. She recognized many of them, and remembered a few names connected to their accounts as well as their avatars. Klein, also known as Ryoutarou Tsuoboi. Brave, kind, terrible with women. Then there was Andrew Gilbert Mills, who went by Agil in the game. The Dicey Cafes owner, along with his wife. The two girls were Keiko and Rika, who played Silica and Lisbeth. They should have been college students by now. And the waitress in the corner must have been Megumi Akibara, who used Rosalia as her log-in.

Kazuto politely slipped aside so Yui could meet (or rather, re-meet) everyone, placing an order for a water which Andrew declared on the house in honor of the holiday season. It was amazing, almost everyone had come.

Ryu leaned against the bar beside him.

"You never cease to amaze, do you Kirito?" he asked languidly.

Laugh. "I suppose I don't, but what fun is there in living a boring life?"

"I wouldn't know, I hang out with you too much," he said, half-accusingly. "But then again its better than work. I've been so busy lately I haven't had much time to game. Or chat with Sakuya."

"So, do tell... how're things with you and _Lady Sakuya_?" he teased.

Ryu chuckled at his joke, and even managed a grin that looked downright evil. "Well, for one thing, she lets me call her _Saya_ now."

They both shared a laugh at that, slapping each other on the back and passing along congratulations to their respective accomplishments. Kazuto was honestly happy for his friend, and hoped he did well with the lovely teacher. Everyone deserved a chance to find someone special in their lives.

His gaze slid over to Asuna and Yui as his thoughts drifted to them, and he could not help but feel no matter who anyone else had, he was the luckiest man in the whole wide world.

Yui had just slipped out of a firm embrace from Keiko and Rika, turning to find her parents, and was startled when she all but plowed into a dark-haired woman, spilling her drink. It took the young girl to remember her manners and apologize, and a moment later, she finally realized who she was. She looked absolutely nothing like her Sylph avatar.

"Leafa!"

Kirito laughed at Yui's enthusiasm, but nodded.

"That's quite right, Yui. This is my sis-... oh, well actually I guess that means... uh, Yui, this is your _Aunt_ Suguha!" he said with another laugh. The others joined in as Suguha fumed, her face turning red.

"I'm too young to be an aunt, Kazuto!"

Everyone just continued to laugh, and after a while, Suguha even joined in.

"So how did this happen, Kirito?" asked Sasha after the laughter died down.

He hesitated as he was put on the spot, not sure how much he should share. "Well it's kinda complicated," was all Kazuto would say.

Sasha was obviously curious about how this had happened, but when Yui started peppering her with questions, she took a great delight in answering them all, allowing Kazuto and Asuna to slip to a quieter part of the bar.

"We'll have to tell her eventually, you know," Asuna said. "Tell all of them."

"Someday," Kazuto promised, not anxious to deal with the headache of moral implications, or sciences involved. He just wanted them to be happy, as a family. For a while, at least. If not as long as they possibly could be.

Kazuto and Asuna took some seats at a table and relaxed as they watched Yui bobbing around, taking a delight in every new person she talked to, every new thing she saw. Kazuto would say she was acting just like a kid on Christmas, but frankly there wasn't even an act. She was truly seeing the world for the very first time. Everything was new to hear.

Asuna perked up as she noticed something. "Hey I just realized, we're short a few. What happened to Sinon?

"On duty," he said. "She volunteered so she could learn the new routes. She's coming along quite nicely," he added, thinking to just how nervous Asada Shino had been when she'd joined the police and been handling firearms for the first time in the real world. Now, she was taking to the whole thing like a fairy took to flight.

"And Thinker and Yulier?"

"Couldn't make it," Kazuto replied. "Sent a text saying they were swamped tonight."

"Pity. They'd all love meeting Yui again."

He shrugged. "Always next time, right? Not like she's going anywhere anytime soon."

Eventually Yui had been through speaking to everyone, sometimes twice, and they ordered some drinks as she settled into the table with her parents. Megumi brought over a tray and their drinks: a water refill for Kazuto, a cola for Asuna, and a fruit drink for Yui, complete with decorative fan. She patted the young girl on the head affectionately before sashaying to another part of the bar and seeing if anyone needed a refill.

Technically it was her night off, but she did work at the Dicey Café part time to pay her student fees, so it was natural to fall back into her role tonight. The rest of her days she spent working an online degree in economics.

Kazuto brought the water to his lips and drank slowly, figuring he'd need to keep hydrated or he'd be up all night. As he did, he watched Ryu toss back another drink, while Rika and Andrew tapped their glasses together and congratulated Keiko, who'd announced she'd been accepted at a college overseas in the United States.

_These are our friends_, Kazuto thought. They were Yui's too, had been ever since Alfheim Online, but now she was seeing them in a whole new light.

* * *

><p>They didn't linger long at the party, just enough to promise they'd be back for New Years and finish their drinks. Then they ventured back into the cold and the traffic, which seemed to have gotten even worse than before. When they finally reached their apartment, Kazuto found to his amusement that Yui had passed out on the way, and was now dozing softly, her head lying on Asuna's chest.<p>

"Poor thing must be completely exhausted," he said, shrugging off his helmet and rotating his arms.

"Probably hasn't eaten much either," replied Asuna. "I'll make sure to get us a big breakfast ready in the morning."

He nodded. "Well we've got a week off from classes still. And I can always skip a few more if I'm needed at home..."

Asuna rolled her eyes at that, even as she helped Kazuto pick up Yui out of her lap and slid out of the sidecar. "Honestly, you've got to stop doing that. Those classes are important."

"I pass all my tests," he replied defensively.

"I know I just... ugh," she grumbled. This was an argument they'd had many times before, and it never seemed to gain traction either way. She threw up her hands in disgust. "Fine, whatever. Let's just go to bed."

A short climb of the stairs, for thankfully they only lived on the second floor, and they reached their apartment. Asuna unlocked the door, letting them in. Their apartment was a simple affair. One large living room with couch and television, one small kitchen and pantry, a fair-sized bedroom with a double-length bed, and a balcony overlooking the community pool. Textbooks and casual reading lay scattered about on various surfaces, but overall the place was neat and tidy enough. They didn't have a washer or dryer, they had to use the community one nearby, so they had a jar on the counter for saving coins and took turns doing the laundry. Asuna did all the cooking, having more skill in the real world than Kirito could manage in any world. He, in turn, did some technical troubleshooting for the college to pay the bills.

The clock on the wall, an old antique Asuna had bought a while back, chimed as they entered and turned on the lights. A single chime only, it was one in the morning. They'd been up all night. Which meant...

"It's Christmas Morning," Kazuto realized.

"Merry Christmas," Asuna said, pecking him lightly on the cheek, their argument forgotten. He responded in kind.

"Well, I dunno about you," he said, hefting little Yui in his arms. "But I think we got the best present ever."

Asuna stifled a laugh behind her hand, not wanting to wake Yui up as they carried her across the hall to the room they shared, and set her down in their bed. They were going to have to make new arrangements now that Yui would be living with them, maybe even consider a new place to live, but for a few nights Kazuto could take the couch.

Yui didn't even stir as they set her down on the bed and drew the covers up to her shoulders, she just snuggled deeper into them like a chrysalis inside of a cocoon.

"Awww, she's just a little angel, isn't she?" cooed Asuna.

"She's a miracle," Kazuto insisted. "_Our_ little miracle."

She nodded, leaning wearily against Kazuto as he patted her hand. Together they gazed down at their daughter. And through her, to the future life all three of them had ahead. Together.

Asuna went to go get some milk from the kitchen, which helped her to sleep. Kazuto sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the covers up over Yui's shoulder, brushing some loose hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear gently. She stirred a little, a tiny smile on her lips. Perhaps she was dreaming.

"Get some rest, Yui," he whispered to her, softly brushing a hand through her hair. "And I hope you have truly wonderful dreams. But even if you don't, we're here for you. And tomorrow... there's a great new adventure waiting for you... the real world."

* * *

><p><strong><span>Authors Notes:<br>**Many probably recognize the idea of a free living body without a mind coming from X-Men the Last Stand. The trick Xavier used to cheat death. It seemed the most humane way to find a body for Yui in the real world that wasn't overly Science Fiction like cloning or robotics. If it seems contrite or forced, re-read the title of the story.

Most of the characters real names come from supplementary material, as do their current professions. Rosalia, obviously, needed one made up, and this seemed as suitable a name as any. 'Rose Red' is the rough translation of her last name.

One adventure ends, another begins.


End file.
